Belated Realisations
by pygmypuff8
Summary: James realises something...


**AN: This is a challenge fic with the pairing Sirius/James and the prompts: fire and Gryffindor common room. Hope you enjoy! And please review.**

* * *

"Great practice mate, you were on fire!"

James clasped Sirius shoulder, before releasing him and trotting of to the locker rooms to shower and to get changed. Sirius grinned, basking in the praise of his best friend, and secret crush, James Potter. He had had this irrational crush on the guy since third grade, after seeing him come out of the shower and realising that, hey, his best mate is bloody gorgeous.

Too bad James Potter is as straight as they come, proven by his long time crush and, Sirius is sure, almost girlfriend, as who can resist James Potter's charms 7 years in a row, Lily Evans.

Heaving a sigh, and shaking his head at his melancholy thoughts, he trudged into the shower after James, careful to avoid looking at him, while he undresses and choosing the shower furthest from him, to minimize any effects the thought and sounds of running water would have on him.

Unfortunately, he is just a teenage boy, and, hearing a faint groan coming from the shower James was currently occupying, he bit his lip to stifle the groan threatening to rise, as he imagines James in the shower with him, doing unimaginable things to him, and, before he knows it, his hand is flying over his erection. He bites his lip to keep from crying out as he comes, and when he opens his eyes and is again tuned into the sounds of life outside his shower, he is greeted by an eerie silence.

Panic clutches at Sirius's heart, and he hopes to God that James finished showering before him, and did not see him rub one out, as the shower curtains were quite transparent.

Still hearing no sounds from outside his shower, he gulps, shakes his head and, telling himself to stop being such a puss, he yanks open his shower curtain, and was faced with an empty locker room.

Heaving a sigh of relief at his escape, he steps out, towels himself down, dresses and heads back to the Gryffindor common room.

* * *

James leaned against the wall around the corner, leading to the toilets, and listens to Sirius walking out of the locker room, no doubt making his way to the common room, expecting to find him sitting there and waiting for him.

Taking a deep breath, James slid down the wall, and, landing on the bathroom floor, thought about what he had just witnessed.

When he finished his shower, he was just planning on stepping out, dressing, and making his way to the Gryffindor common room, maybe finish some homework he really should have finished earlier, and messing around with the Marauders. That was what he did every Sunday night, every Sunday night that is, until tonight.

While dressing, he had noticed furious movement in the shower Sirius was occupying, stifling a laugh, he had turned, expecting to see Sirius rubbing his eyes or something, having got shampoo in his eyes, or something like that.

Instead he had witnessed something he had definitely not expected. Turning, his grin had slowly faded away as he saw that Sirius was wanking, furiously, it seemed. He had watched, transfixed, a certain tightness in his newly fastened pants, until Sirius threw back his head and came. Then he remembered where he was and, as quietly as possible, gathered his stuff, and darted around the corner just as Sirius pulled open the curtain.

Now, sitting and rationally thinking it through, he could make no sense of it.

Surely he had seen another boys prick before, and not had such a strong reaction to it, so he couldn't be gay. Plus, he was in love with Lily Evans, had been since first year. _Though_, a little voice niggled at the back of his mind,_ you've never actually imagined doing anything with Lily…. And you've haven't seen Sirius naked since third year."_

With a jolt of surprise, he realised the little voice was right, he _had _never imagined doing anything other than sitting and talking, and maybe holding hands with Lily. And though he and Sirius had often been naked in front of each other prior to third year, suddenly Sirius just wasn't any more.

So, was he gay? He didn't particularly think so, as he had seen any number of other naked boys even after Sirius had stopped being naked in front of him, he lived in a boys dormitory, didn't he? and he had never had any… ummm…. _stirrings_ down there before.

So, maybe he wasn't gay, maybe he was just…. Sirius-sexual.

Grinning at the idiocy of the thought, and having come to peace with his thoughts, he stood up, walked out of the locker room and onto the Quidditch pitch and made his way to the Gryffindor common room, determined to find Sirius and test his new theory.

* * *

When Sirius arrived in the common room, he was surprised to see that James wasn't there yet. Shrugging it off, he gave in to Remus's needling, which had started the moment he entered the common room, and reached for his book bag, pulling out his half-finished essay for Potions, wishing Remus would relax with the needling, as Professor Slughorn wouldn't be _that_ mad if he didn't finish his essay. The man was literally jolly personified. It didn't hurt that Sirius was one of his favourite students, as Sirius made the Professor laugh, which was all he really wanted out of life.

Three quarters of the way through, he heard the portrait open and, lifting his head, he saw James standing there, his eyes zoomed in on Sirius's, and a strange sort of expectant smile on his face.

Narrowing his eyes in confusion at James, Sirius watched as he made his way across the common room floor to the Marauders usual seating place, right before the fire, where Remus was very busy with homework, Peter was asleep in his chair in front of the fire, and Sirius was sitting with his books spread out before him, studying James as he made his way to him.

When James reached him, he automatically slid over to make space on the couch he was sitting on, as they always shared a couch.

Sliding in next to Sirius, sitting a bit closer than was perhaps strictly necessary, James looked around to see if anyone was near enough, or interested enough (Remus could care less what they were doing, he had an Astronomy essay due, and, unlike Sirius, he actually _liked_ having his stuff done on time) before leaning in close and all but whispering in Sirius's ear: "Come upstairs, would you? I have something to show you."

Shivering deliciously from the air on whispering across his flesh, Sirius took a moment to register the words. He shrugged his shoulders and nodded, figuring James wanted to discuss a prank he didn't want anybody else to know of.

Following James up the stairs to their dormitory, Sirius considered what prank James might want to discuss, and on who they were going to play it.

Sirius closed the door behind him, and turning around, he saw James sitting on his bed patting it invitingly.

Shaking his head slightly to banish the images it conjures of James lying flushed under him, he walked over to his bed and sat next to him.

Looking at James he saw him looking expectantly at him. Furrowing his brows, he gestured for James to get on with it, as he probably should finish that essay, or he might not be one of Slughorn's favourites anymore.

Taking a deep breath, and going a bit crimson at the edges of his face James started: "I- I've been wondering, you know, if, if you might like me, you know?" he ended awkwardly, going more crimson at his ineptness.

Frowning, Sirius answered: "Well, of course I like you mate. You're my best mate."

Shaking his head, blushing furiously, and looking a lot less sure of himself, James said: "No, I know that, I mean like, _like _like you know? Like," he went on in a small voice, "you want to kiss me like"

Sirius literally felt his face go blank, his mind racing.

When he didn't answer, James looked up nervously, and, seeing Sirius's blank expression, he looked mortified, and said quickly: "You know what, forget I said anything, it's stupid anyway, I should just-"

He was abruptly cut of, as Sirius's body finally caught up with his brain, and his hands lifted, gripped James's face, and mushed his mouth against his.

The kiss was messy, wet, with no elegance or technique, but Sirius didn't care, this was the best kiss of his life. Feeling James tentatively respond to his rough kiss, Sirius gentled his mouth, and began to probe at his closed mouth with his tongue, coaxing it open, and when he did open it, he couldn't help but groan as his tongue swept into his mouth, thoroughly exploring it.

Suddenly, he was pushed away and, grunting with protest, he looked at James, seeing him delicious flushed and asking: "So, you like me, do you?"

Rolling his eyes at his friend's antics, Sirius nodded and pulled him closer for another kiss, thinking, 'screw potions'.


End file.
